‘I’m staggered’: Michael Maguire’s fate to be influenced by Tigers players

The Wests Tigers’ season from hell ended on a horror note and there are reports the players could throw Michael Maguire under the bus.

Michael Maguire’s face says it all. Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images

The talk that Wests Tigers coach Michael Maguire is a dead man walking appears to be intensifying in the fallout of the club’s dire 38-0 loss to the Canterbury Bulldogs on the weekend.

The club has missed out on finals action for a 10th straight year, finishing 13th with eight wins and 16 losses.

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The worst defeat of the season was the hapless final round drubbing at the hands of the Bulldogs, which has turned the spotlight on the coach during a post-season review.

Brent Read reported for The Australian yesterday the Tigers’ senior players were set to play a significant role in deciding Maguire’s future at the club as Wests launched a review into the club’s football operations.

However, the review has been panned. Fox League’s NRL 360 panel labelled it a “mickey mouse review” run by the club’s administrators, including CEO Justin Pascoe, who many believe should also be under scrutiny after so many years of on-field mediocrity.

The Tigers’ woes are the talk of the rugby league community this week. Speaking on SEN’s Breakfast with Vossy, veteran commentator Andrew Voss asked TheDaily Telegraph’s Michael Carayannis a question that hit at the heart of the issue: “Who are the leaders?”

“That’s right and that’s been the big problem for the Tigers in the past couple of years,” Carayannis said. “Really since Robbie Farah and Benji Marshall left the first time they’ve never had that core, solid group of senior players. You look across that Wests Tigers roster now and really, who are the leaders?

“James Tamou is a leader but for things he’s done elsewhere. The only other leader in that mix now is Adam Doueihi. I think it’s those two players and the rest of them are saying, ‘Buckle up and let’s see what happens’.”

Seems to be resting Madge face lately. Picture NRL Images

The club’s senior players were reportedly interviewed last week and more will be questioned over the next few days about the season. Carayannis said that would partly be the way Maguire’s fate would be decided.

Voss added one-club players Luke Brooks and David Nofoaluma had both been at the Tigers since 2013 but don’t appear to be real leaders of the club. In that time, the Tigers have never made the finals.

Voss was shocked to learn senior players may have an influence on what happens to their coach, given the club’s decade-long absence from finals footy.

“If that’s the case I’m staggered, because it’s a topic I raised on the show with Matty Johns and Cameron Smith yesterday, and Matty was very strong on this subject – the Tigers don’t have leaders in their playing group. Certainly not with the experience of success elsewhere,” Voss said.

“What is their (Brooks and Nofoaluma’s) experience of success? What could they offer that would be better than Madge Maguire, who has experienced success?

“I make no apologies for making this observation, but how could senior players like Luke Brooks or David Nofoaluma offer insight into the ingredients of a successful club.

“It’s the only club they have spoken to but surely Michael Maguire’s thoughts on what is required for success carries more weight than Brooks and Nofoaluma’s.”

The Wests Tigers were mauled by the Bulldogs. Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images

On Sky Sports Radio’s Big Sports Breakfast, NRL reporter Danny Weidler said the Tigers had painted themselves into a corner.

“The sad thing is that the way the Tigers players played the game (against the Bulldogs) showed they weren’t playing for Michael Maguire,” Weidler said. “That was a statement game from those players, they were hopeless.

“Let’s put it in perspective, right. Canterbury have won two games this year, Canterbury are a long way last in a weak competition. Canterbury would be one of the worst teams we’ve seen play in the NRL and they beat the Tigers by 38. That says a lot about the mental application the Tigers players put in and gave to the club and gave to Michael Maguire. To me, that’s the worrying sign.

“Forget the rubbish we saw on Tiger Townand all the swearing, all of that, it was the last game performance. Neither team had anything to play for except pride and the coaches and for me that was a worrying sign.”

The players don’t seem to be playing for Maguire. Picture: NRL Photos

As for other options should Maguire be shown the door, Panthers assistant coach Cameron Ciraldo is considered next in line for an NRL job, while former Sharks premiership winning coach Shane Flanagan is an experienced coach waiting for another opportunity.

But how much success anyone would be able to achieve with the Tigers roster remains a crucial question.

“Look at the roster they have, this is Michael Maguire’s team, it’s not a great roster,” Weidler said. “Are they going to improve a lot next year with the players they’ve signed? They’ve signed Jackson Hastings and not a lot else I don’t think. Dare I say it, there are not a lot of green shoots.”

Originally published as ‘I’m staggered’: Michael Maguire’s fate to be influenced by Tigers players